What happens to Venezuela next?
QuoteVenezuela's President Hugo Chavez has died, his vice-president has announced.
Mr Chavez had not appeared in public since he returned to Venezuela last month after cancer treatment in Cuba.
An emotional Nicolas Maduro made the announcement on Tuesday evening, flanked by leading Venezuelan political and military leaders.
Earlier, he said the 58-year-old Venezuelan leader had a new, severe respiratory infection and had entered "his most difficult hours".
He also announced the government had expelled two US diplomats from the country for spying on Venezuela's military.
Mr Maduro said Mr Chavez had died "after battling a tough illness for nearly two years".
He said he had no doubt that Mr Chavez's cancer, first diagnosed in 2011, had been induced by foul play by Venezuela's enemies.
Venezuelan radio reported that military had been deployed across the country.
Under the constitution, the head of Venezuela's Congress, Diosdado Cabello, will assume the interim presidency before an election is held.
Cuba surgery
One of the most visible, vocal and controversial leaders in Latin America, Hugo Chavez won the presidency in 1998 and had most recently won another six-year presidential term in October 2012.
Last May, the former army paratrooper said he had recovered from an unspecified cancer, after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy in 2011 and a further operation in February 2012.
However, in December 2012, he announced he needed further cancer surgery in Cuba, and named his Vice-President, Nicolas Maduro, as his preferred successor should the need arise.
Mr Chavez remained out of public view, finally returning to Venezuela in February.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-21679053 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-21679053)
About fucking time.
Quote from: "Davka"About fucking time.
Yep.
A sad day for Venezuela hugo did much good for the poorest in his country which are most of the people of Venezuela. Big oil didn't like him and US propaganda did not treat him kindly because he was not a US puppet and tried for social justice. Using oil money to educate the poor. Whatever you think of him anyone who Pat Robertson prays to god to assassinate can't be all bad!
I never did buy the official US line about Chavez. He may have been a bit of a rogue, but pissing on Bush's Cheerio's earned him at least a few cookies in my book.
Good riddance. Whoever survives the inevitable power struggle, I doubt he's gonna be all milk-and-cookies over democratic reform, though.
I liked the way he rankled right-wingers in the US.
Quote from: "Rejak"A sad day for Venezuela hugo did much good for the poorest in his country which are most of the people of Venezuela. Big oil didn't like him and US propaganda did not treat him kindly because he was not a US puppet and tried for social justice. Using oil money to educate the poor. Whatever you think of him anyone who Pat Robertson prays to god to assassinate can't be all bad!
This.
Bye bye asshole.
why was he an asshole?
Quote from: "Davka"About fucking time.
why? What was the problem with Chavez running Venezuela?
Quote from: "Jmpty"Quote from: "Rejak"A sad day for Venezuela hugo did much good for the poorest in his country which are most of the people of Venezuela. Big oil didn't like him and US propaganda did not treat him kindly because he was not a US puppet and tried for social justice. Using oil money to educate the poor. Whatever you think of him anyone who Pat Robertson prays to god to assassinate can't be all bad!
This.
I agree. He was no saint, but too many people jumped on the right wing bandwagon of hatred against him.
If you haven't watched Oliver Stone's film, "South Of The Border," you really should. If you think you know what goes on in South America, think again.
Shit, compared to what our politicans do he WAS a saint. Hopefully Venezuela can get someone even better.
Edit: To expand: He cut poverty in half in Venezuela, reduced infant mortality AND the VEnezuelan economic disparity is HALF of what the United States is (something we are number one in, woot woot!...).
Not a perfect man, but he was demonized because he didn't bow down, kiss America's ass and do exactly what we told him to do... and thats why we tried to overthrow him. When you look at really just how disfunctional, corrupt and full of poor/staving/etc. people our nation is, when you look at our growing disregard for civil liberties... to me I have a hard time feeling I have a moral high ground to talk about about how "terrible" he was.
Edit Edit: And to further expand, because this is a peeve of mine... we support FAR WORSE foreign politicans who treat their people FAR worse than Chavez and talk about how "amazing" they are... so no, I cant vilianize him.
Quote from: "Shiranu"Not a perfect man, but he was demonized because he didn't bow down, kiss America's ass and do exactly what we told him to do... and thats why we tried to overthrow him.
Yes indeed. Look what happened in Chile. If Chavez had been overthrown like Allende it wouldn't have been that surprising to see another ogre like Pinochet installed in his place. Good job, America. :roll: